Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-01-21
xLIx. CONGRESS-.
WASHINGTON, January 20, 1897.
senate.


Public Buildings, reported bill for the
completion of the monument 10 Mary,
the mother Of Washington. Placed on
the calendar.
Mr. Blair gave notice that on Tues
day next he would ask the Senate to
take mp and act upon the joint resolu-
ton proposing an amendment to the
Constitution 50 as 10 authorize woman
suffrage.
Mr. Hoar called mp the conference re-
port on the electOral-cOunt bill (the Ed
munds bib
Mr. Edmunds stated his understand
ing 10 be that the conference bill was
m substance and in form, except as to
two or three lines, the same "A the bill
which the Senate had passed over and
over again.
Mr. Wilson, of Iowa, said that he
could not vote for the report. because
he believed that it proposed to assume
jurisdiction which. i'll his Judgment,
was prohibited by the Constitution.
The conference report was agreed TO
without further discussion and without
division, and then, on motion of Mr.
Edmunds, the Senate at o'clock went
into secret session.
The doors were reopened at 40
and the Senate adjourned.
House of Representatives..
Mr.. Cultivate, of Ohio, from the
Committee on Pacific Railroads re-
ported back the following resolution,
which was adopted:
RCS0lrcd, That the Secretary OF the
Treasury he, and is hereby, required to
inform the House of Representatives,
soon MS is practicable She sums Of money
which were owing TO the United States
on the LIST day of January, 1897, from
the Pacific railroads which have received
aid from the Government III bonds,
giving the sums which are due, princl-
nal and interest, under the exist
| inc law, seycally and collectively,
from said companies, and what
will he the result to the Urea
mrv and the effect upon these debts OF
House Bill no. 1913 should it become
law and its provisions be complied
with.
The bill referred to is that in
troduccd 10y Mr.. Cultivate providing
for the payment Of the Pacific railroads
Indebtedness TO The Government by IN
stalmcnts SO arranged that the average
date of maturity shall be October ],
1921. The object of the committee in
reporting the resolution was 10 get the
opinion of the Treasury Department as
to the effect Of the passage Of the
House funding bill
In its report the committee says
There is legislation pending to secure
to the United States the payment OF all
the Indebtedness of the companies al
mdcd TO in the resolution. No infor
nation can be- obtained from any report
made by the Department as to the
amount owingthc Government fromthe
companies later than June 30, 1886. 1t
is very desirable and almost necessary
that the House be informed as to the
true state Of their amounts brought
down to as late day as may be had III
order that there may bc fair and intelli-
gent consideration of such a measure.
The Judgment of the Secretary of the
Treasury rs to the effect and result OF
the provisions of the bill, should it be-
come Il law, is also greatly to be desired,
SO that the House may have the same
before it previous to acting on the mca-
sure.
Bills were reported and referred to
the Committee of the Whole for the
completion of the monument to Mary,
mother of Washington. at Fredericks-
burg, Va, and authorizing a special
distribution of seed by the Agricultural
Department to the drought-stlicken re-
eions Of Texas.
The House in the morning hour
passed Senate bill amending the law r. !
latingtO patents, trademarks, and copy /
night. ltprovidcs that hereafter during /
the term of lctters-patcnt for design it |
shall be unlawful for any person other |
than the owner of the letters patent, |
without the license Of the owner, 10 APP |
DIV the design secured by such letters |
patent, or any colorado imitation |
thereof, to any article of manufacture |
for the purpose of sale, or to sell or eN-
pose for sale, any article of manufac- |
turc to which such design or colorado |
imitation shall, without the license of |
the owner having been applied know /
inc that the same has been SO applied.
The House then resumed the considc- !
ration OF the conference report on the |
Interstate commerce bill. Aitpra short |
discussion, ON motion of Mr.. Crisp, of /
Georgia, 10y unanimous consent 1t was !
ordered that session should be held |
tonight for the discussion of the re- |
port: that ut the end Of that session the !
previous question should BE- considered !
as ordered. and that n vote on the adop- |
ton of the report should be taken to- |
morrow morning after the reading of |
the journal.
Mr.. Caldwell. of Tennessee, sup |
ported the compromise bill, not as
perfect code, but as one which had in |
view the correction of great evils and |
defects. and which would be revealed |
when the law was put into opera
ton. and would then be susceptible oi
remedy.
Mr.. Dihble. of South Carolina, ia
yOrcd the rccommittal of the hill 10 the |
conference committee for the purpoSa
Of having its defects corrected, aud cN-
pressed the opinion that such recon-
initial would not endanger the passage
of the bill: but even should it result in
the defeat Of the measure, he contended
that that would be better than for Con
ercss to enact into law such ambiguous
legislation. The effect of its enactment
would be 10 throw into the courts the
construction of words which should
he construed 10y Congress 1t would
DE some years before that judi
ciai Interpretation would begin,
and the result would Ice the postpone
ment Of a remedy which was required
to correct wrongs under which the peo-
pie suffered to day. There would be
truce while the matter was being fought
ont in the courts, and in view of the
ambiguity of the bill it would he III
fnitely better for the people that 1t
should not pass. His chief objection
TO the measure was directed against
what he considered the dangerous
powers which were conferred upon the
Commission in the matter of suspend
ing the operations of the long and
short-haul section, and which permitted
il to make fish of one and flesh Of AN
other